Leadville's Historic Practice Parade Practices Cultural Inclusion

KDNK | By Raleigh Burleigh

Published September 20, 2017 at 7:01 AM MDT

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Leadville's mayor Greg Labbe sports a Pancho Villa mustache.

Raleigh Burleigh

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The girls practice La Raspa.

Raleigh Burleigh

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Harry Garry and Mayor Greg Labbe

Raleigh Burleigh

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Harrison Ave.

Raleigh Burleigh

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Raleigh Burleigh, Sarah Dallas, Jim Duke, and Luke Nestler.

Gavin Dahl

For decades Leadville has celebrated the 6-month anniversary of St. Patrick's Day with a September parade.

"Because why celebrate St. Patrick's Day once a year, when you could celebrate it twice?" - Luke Finken, parade organizer.

This year, the parade celebrated another immigrant heritage, recognizing Fiestas Patrias, the Independence of Central America from Spain.

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Raleigh Burleigh

Raleigh Burleigh was raised in the historic floodplanes of Satank. The Carbondale Rotary Club sponsored him as a youth ambassador to Chile the year before his graduation from Roaring Fork High School. He studied International Affairs and Journalism at the University of Colorado, Boulder then applied those studies traveling throughout South America the following year. Returning to Carbondale thereafter, Raleigh acquired an internship with KDNK News which led to the opportunity to serve as News Director from 2017 to 2019. After another trip to South America in early 2019, Raleigh Burleigh drew deeper into the confluence as Program Director at KDNK. Raleigh now serves on KDNK's board of directors and as editor of Carbondale's weekly newspaper, The Sopris Sun.

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